Feed-bag



(No Model.)

J. H. WILLIAMS.

FEED BAG.

Patened May 21 1889.

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'i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. WILLIAMS, 4OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BOSTON FEEDBASKET COMPANY, OF NElV HAMPSHIRE.

FEED-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,867, dated May w21,1889.

Application filed May l0, 1888. Serial No. 273,502. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. WILLIAMS, of B oston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed Bags or Baskets, of which the following is aspecification.

For a full understanding of my invention reference is made tov theaccompanying draw- Io ings, and the letters of reference marked thereon,forming a part of this speciiication, in which drawings- Figure l is aside view of my improved feed bag or basket, the head of a horse beingportrayed in dotted lines to clearly indicate the manner of using thecontrivance. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the bag or basket.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the spring-support for the basket.

zo The same letters of reference designate the same parts.

In the drawings, a designates the body of the basket, consisting'ofasingle piece or sheet of woven-wire fabric stamped or molded to properform, so as to be without seam or seams of any kind. The body a is boundaround the rim or upper edge with two strips of metal, b, between whichthe upper edge of the fabric body of the basket extends, so that 3o suchfabric edge will be protected and prevented from scratching the nose ofthe feeding horse, and a strong firm binding at the same time providedfor the upperedge of the basket, from which binding there. extends 3 5around the outside of the body of the basket, at or under the bottom ofthe same to the rim b, at an opposite point, strips or ribs of metal, c,these strips or ribs being for the purpose of strengthening the basketand protecting 4o it against injury by reason of a blow that may begiven to the side of the basket.

d designates a metallic plate molded to it the bottom of the basket andsecured thereto by any suitable means, this device being provided forthe purpose of strengthening and protecting the bottom of the basket.This bottoni plate, d, may be perforated, as at e, to admit air freelyto the basket.

f designates a strip of canvas or other text- 5o ile fabricl secured atone edge to the rim o between two metal strips and extending inwardtoward the center of the basket, where it is provided with adraw-string, g, for the purpose of adjusting the feeding-aperturethrough which the nose of the horse is passed, 5 5 the body of thecanvas strip between the rim and the draw-string g serving to preventthe horse or other animal from throwing feed out of the basket intossing his head, as he is liable to do while feeding. 6o

h designates a hinge or loop of wire or the like, secured to the rim b,to which the lower end of a metal strap, h', is looped or hinged in anysuitable manner. To this strap h is secured a housing or casing, t', inwhich is 65 arranged a rod, j, surrounded by a spiral spring, c, theupper end of which bears against the upper end of the casing or housing,the lower end resting on a head or plate, Z, forming a part of orconnected with the rod j. 7o The upper end of the rod j has a loop oreye, m, formed thereon or therein, providing means for attaching thestrap n, which passes over the head of the horse to said rod. Vith thisconstruction it will be seen that the weight of the basket and the feedtherein will be borne by the spring lo, which will be contracted by theweight of the feed in the basket and will rise as the feed is consumed,thus maintaining the latter within conven- 8o ient proximity of themouth of the animal. By this construction and arrangement of aspring-support for the basket the latter is left free from any externalor internal incumbrances, and the spring-support is ar- 8 5 ranged at apoint where it will not be liable to be injured, as would be the case ifit were arranged alongside of or at the bottom of the basket. The springk is compressed to the utmost extent, as is commonly done in the 9oconstruction of spring scales or balances, before it is placed inposition, so as to make the spring-support of the basket serve as a Weighing-scales for the feed placed therein; and to this end the housing orcasing t' is slotted 95 vertically, as at o, and an indicating-inger,1o, extends through said slot to a scale, q, marked on the outside ofsaid housing. By graduating the scale to pounds the user of the basketcan readily ascertain the amount of feed noo placed in the basket. Themetallic part of the basket-the Woven-Wire body as Well as itsadjuncts-may be galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent it fromrusting.

My improved feed-basket has been shown by experience to be durable, topermit the horse or other animal to eat with convenience and comfort,and to prevent Waste of feed, all of which are serious objectionsfollowing the use of feed-bags of usual construction.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is A feed bag or basketconsisting of a single seamless piece of Wire-cloth, having the upperedge or rim bound by strips of metal ,inclosing the upper edge of thefabric, broad metallic strips extending at short intervals May, A. D.'1888.

` JOHN H. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W; CRossLnY, A. D. HARRISON.

